Free online courses on pollinator protection offer a restricted use pesticide (RUP) credit for Michigan certified pesticide applicators

Ana Heck<heckanar@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Pesticide applicators in Michigan can take a free, self-paced, online course on pollinator protection to earn one RUP credit in categories 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3A, 3B, 6, 7A, Commercial Core or Private Core.

Illustration of a pesticide application along a road.
Photo by Iris Kormann

Pesticide applicators can learn how to support bees and other pollinators through the Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators Online Course or the Pollinator Protection for Land Managers Online Course from the Managed Pollinator Protection Working Group and Michigan State University Extension. These courses are self-paced, allowing students to review course materials at their own pace and on their own schedules. Each course takes about an hour to complete, and both courses are free of charge.

While these online courses are intended for certified pesticide applicators, they are open to anyone who wants to learn about pollinator protection.

Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators Online Course

Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators is intended for applicators who work in pest management of row, fruit or vegetable crops. The online course contains four modules:

  1. Pollinator Appreciation
  2. Pesticide Toxicity and Risk to Bees
  3. Pesticide Labels and Pollinators
  4. Supporting Pollinator Health

Upon completion of Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators, certified pesticide applicators in Michigan can request one restricted use pesticide (RUP) credit for category 1A (Field Crops), 1B (Vegetable Crops), 1C (Fruit Crops), 7A (General Pest Management), Commercial Core or Private Core.

Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators Online Course

Pollinator Protection for Land Managers Online Course

Pollinator Protection for Land Managers is intended for applicators who work in landscaping and pest management outside of cropping systems. The online course contains three modules:

  1. Pollinator Appreciation
  2. Pesticide Toxicity and Risk to Bees
  3. Land Management for Pollinator Health

Upon completion of Pollinator Protection for Land Managers, certified pesticide applicators in Michigan can request one RUP credit for category 2 (Forest Pest Management), 3A (Turfgrass Pest Management), 3B (Ornamental Pest Management), 6 (Right-of-Way Pest Management), 7A (General Pest Management), Commercial Core, or Private Core.

Pollinator Protection for Land Managers Online Course

Acknowledgement

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management Program through the North Central IPM Center (2018-70006-28883 and 2022-70006-38001).

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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